Ski binding

ABSTRACT

Means for mounting ski binding components onto a ski in such a manner as to permit flexing of the ski without varying the distance between the ski binding components. A rigid plate is mounted in spaced relation to an upper surface of the ski by means which permit at least one end of such plate to be longitudinally translatable with respect to said ski. Preferably one end of the plate is pivoted to the ski and the other end of the plate connected thereto through a slot and pin arrangement. Thus the shape of the plate remains uneffected by flexing of the ski. The boot engaging components of the ski binding are then mounted on said plate and remain at a constant distance from each other regardless of any flexing which may occur in the ski.

United States Patent [191 Smolka et al.

[111 3,797,844 [451 Mar. 19, 1974 SKI BINDING [73] Assignee: Gertsch AG,Zug. Switzerland [22] Filed: Aug. 13, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 171,553

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 18. 1970 Austria 8709/70[52] U.S. Cl ..280/l1.35 C [51] Int. Cl. A630 9/00 [58] Field of Search..280/l1.35 C, 11.35 K, 280/1135 Y, 11.35 R, 11.35 D

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.614.858 10/1952 Pierce.Jr. 280/1135 C 3.326.564 6/1967 Heuvel 280/11.13 F

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1.233.690 10/1960 France 280/1 1.35 R

7/1930 Germany 280/1135 K 3/1941 Switzerland 280/1135 C PrimaryExaminer-David Schonberg Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith Attorney,Agent. or Firm-Woodhams. Blanchard & Flynn 57 ABSTRACT Means formounting ski binding components onto a ski in such a manner as to permitflexing of the ski without varying the distance between the ski bindingcomponents. A rigid plate is mounted in spaced relation to an uppersurface of the ski by means which permit at least one end of such plateto be longitudinally translatable with respect to said ski. Preferablyone end of the plate is pivoted to the ski and the other end of theplate connected thereto through a slot and pin arrangement. Thus theshape of the plate remains uneffected by flexing of the ski. The bootengaging components of the ski binding are then mounted on said plateand remain at a constant distance from each other regardless of anyflexing which may occur in the ski.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures SKI BINDING The invention relates to a skibinding which is mounted to a plate arranged on a ski.

In most cases ski bindings are mounted directly onto the ski. However,if during use one skis over a rough terrain, the ski bends downwardlyand upwardly. Thus. the distance between the ski binding componentschanges so that, if the ski binding parts are not moveable inlongitudinal direction, the ski boot tends part of the time to becompressed and damaged and part of the time to be held only loosely andpossibly actually to be released from the binding.

Therefore ski bindings have already been produced in which one skibinding part, particularly the heel holder, is arranged to move in thelongitudinal direction in response to the force of a compression spring.While this spring effectively balances the distance variations of theski binding parts, nevertheless, the holding forces still varysufficiently that there is continuing danger of an opening of thebinding occurring too soon or too late and thus a continuing risk ofinjury.

It is also known to mount the ski binding parts on a plate secured tothe ski. This plate, however, either follows the curvatures of the skithrough which the distance between the ski binding parts is stillchanged in the same manner as above mentioned or the ski is stiffenedand its elasticity is affected.

The purpose of the invention is to avoid these disadvantages and yet toproduce a device in which the distance between the ski binding parts isnot affected by the flexing of the ski.

This purpose is attained by providing a plate spaced from the ski and atleast at one point supported for movement relative to the ski inlongitudinal direction of the ski. Thus, the ski can be bent withoutchanging the distance between the ski binding parts.

The subject matter of the invention is illustrated by several exemplaryembodiments in the drawings, in which FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate viewsassociated with one another of one embodiment of the invention.

FIGv 3 illustrates this embodiment on a flexed ski.

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate three further embodiments of the invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the ski binding parts 1,2 are mounted onto arelatively rigid plate 3. In the embodiment of said FIGS. 1-3, saidplate is shaped and positioned as an inverted U. Supports 6 which carrypivot pins 7,8 are provided on the ski 5, the axes of which are paralleland perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ski 5. The plate 3 byits downwardly directed flanges is supported pivotally on the axis 8 andthrough the slotted holes 10 is both pivotally and translatablysupported on the pin 7. Thus, the plate 3 is not mounted directly on theski 5 but is spaced therefrom. If the ski is flexed, as is illustratedin FIG. 3, the supports 6 pivot about the pins 8 and the pins 7 move asneeded in the slotted holes 10. Through this manner of support, the ski5 can bend in both directions without stressing the plate 3 and thuswithout varying the distance between the ski binding components.

A somewhat similar construction is illustrated in FIG. 4. It differsfrom FIGS. 1 to 3, however, in that the plate 3 is arranged with thepins 7,8 in a recess 11 of the ski 5. Thus, the plate 3 is spaced fromthe base surface of the recess 11, said space again making possible theflexing of the ski without influencing the plate 3 and/or ski bindingparts 1,2.

In the construction shown in FIG. 5, there is provided a base plate 3'which is here shown without flanges but still has sufficient stiffnessto remain substantially flat during normal use and flexing of the ski.The plate 3 is secured on the ski 5 by means of screws 12,13 whichextend through interposed spacers l4. Slotted holes 9 are provided atone end of the plate 3'. such as in cooperation with the screws 13.Thus, if the plate 3' bends upwardly or downwardly, the screws l3'canslide in the slotted holes 9.

FIG. 6 corresponds primarily to FIG. 5. Here, however, the plate 3 issecured on one end by the screws 12 and merely rests without anyfastening on the other end on the spacer 14.

The invention is, of course, not limited to the illustrated embodiments.Those skilled in the art will recognize other embodiments which will liewithin the scope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a ski binding arrangement having ski binding components mountedonto a rigid plate, said plate in turn being mounted onto a flexibleski, the improvement comprising means for supporting said rigid plate ina vertically spaced relation to said ski solely at a pair oflongitudinally spaced locations on said ski, said supporting meansconsisting solely of a pair of supports secured to said ski and fastenermeans for pivotally securing at least one of said supports to said rigidplate at one of said locations for movement about a horizontal axisperpendicular to the lontitudinal axis of said ski and relative movementpermitting means for supporting said rigid plate at the only other oneof said supports for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to saidfirst mentioned axis and for translational movement relative to saidrigid plate in response to a flexing of said ski whereby the flexibilityof said ski is unaltered by preventing resistance being developed by theconnection between said rigid plate and said support means.

2. The improvement according to claim 1, wherein said relative movementpermitting means includes means defining a slotted hole extendinglongitudinally of said plate in which pivot means is longitudinallymovably supported, said pivot means being secured to said other one ofsaid supports.

3. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein the upper surface ofsaid ski is interrupted by a recess and wherein said support meanssupports said rigid plate in spaced relation to the base surface of saidrecess.

4. A device for mounting boot engaging ski binding components onto aski, comprising:

an inverted U-shaped plate of sufficient stiffness to remainsubstantially planar during normal use and flexing of the ski;

means for pivotally mounting said plate to the ski at one locationthereon in spaced relation to the ski;

means for pivotally and longitudinally translatably mounting to said skianother location on said plate longitudinally spaced from the firstlocation and maintaining the spaced relationship of said plate from theadjacent opposed surface of said ski;

whereby when boot engaging components are mounted on said plate said skimay flex in normal use thereof without varying the longitudinal spacingbetween said components.

5. The device as defined in claim 4 wherein said longitudinaltranslation is obtained by a pin and slot arrangement.

6. The device as defined in claim 5, wherein said slot is located insaid plate and the pin extending through said slot is mounted on saidski.

7. The device as defined in claim 5, wherein said slot is located in thedownwardly extending flanges on said plate and the pin is horizontallyaligned and extends through said slot.

8. The device as defined in claim 4 wherein said opposed surface is theupper surface of the ski.

9. The device as defined in claim 4 wherein said opposed surface is thebottom of a recess provided in the upper surface of the ski.

10. A device for mounting boot engaging ski binding components onto aski, comprising:

a rigid plate separate from said ski and having sufficient stiffness toremain planar during normal use and flexing of the ski;

a pair of longitudinally spaced support means fixedly mounted on saidski for vertically spacing said plate from an adjacent opposed surfaceon said ski;

means for pivotally securing said plate to one of said support meansabout a fixed horizontal axis relative to said ski and in verticallyspaced relation to the ski;

means for permitting a relative longitudinal movement between said plateand the other of said support means while maintaining the spacedrelationship of said plate from the adjacent opposed surface of saidski; and

longitudinally spaced boot engaging components mounted solely on saidplate, the connection of a boot to said boot engaging components andsaid plate being solely accomplished by said boot engaging componentsmounted on said plate, whereby said ski may flex in normal use thereofbut said plate will not flex to vary the longitudinal spacing betweensaid components.

1. In a ski binding arrangement having ski binding components mountedonto a rigid plate, said plate in turn being mounted onto a flexibleski, the improvement comprising means for supporting said rigid plate ina vertically spaced relation to said ski solely at a pair oflongitudinally spaced locations on said ski, said supporting meansconsisting solely of a pair of supports secured to said ski and fastenermeans for pivotally securing at least one of said supports to said rigidplate at one of said locations for movement about a horizontal axisperpendicular to the lontitudinal axis of said ski and relative movementpermitting means for supporting said rigid plate at the only other oneof said supports for pivotal movement about an axis parallel to saidfirst mentioned axis and for translational movement relative to saidrigid plate in response to a flexing of said ski whereby the flexibilityof said ski is unaltered by preventing resistance being developed by theconnection between said rigid plate and said support means.
 2. Theimprovement according to claim 1, wherein said relative movementpermitting means includes means defining a slotted hole extendinglongitudinally of said plate in which pivot means is longitudinallymovably supported, said pivot means being secured to said other one ofsaid supports.
 3. The improvement according to claim 1 wherein the uppersurface of said ski is interrupted by a recess and wherein said supportmeans supports said rigid plate in spaced relation to the base surfaceof said recess.
 4. A device for mounting boot engaging ski bindingcomponents onto a ski, comprising: an inverted U-shaped plate ofsufficient stiffness to remain substantially planar during normal useand flexing of the ski; means for pivotally mounting said plate to theski at one location thereon in spaced relation to the ski; means forpivotally and longitudinally translatably mounting to said ski anotherlocation on said plate longitudinally spaced from the first location andmaintaining the spaced relationship of said plate from the adjacentopposed surface of said ski; whereby when boot engaging components aremounTed on said plate said ski may flex in normal use thereof withoutvarying the longitudinal spacing between said components.
 5. The deviceas defined in claim 4 wherein said longitudinal translation is obtainedby a pin and slot arrangement.
 6. The device as defined in claim 5,wherein said slot is located in said plate and the pin extending throughsaid slot is mounted on said ski.
 7. The device as defined in claim 5,wherein said slot is located in the downwardly extending flanges on saidplate and the pin is horizontally aligned and extends through said slot.8. The device as defined in claim 4 wherein said opposed surface is theupper surface of the ski.
 9. The device as defined in claim 4 whereinsaid opposed surface is the bottom of a recess provided in the uppersurface of the ski.
 10. A device for mounting boot engaging ski bindingcomponents onto a ski, comprising: a rigid plate separate from said skiand having sufficient stiffness to remain planar during normal use andflexing of the ski; a pair of longitudinally spaced support meansfixedly mounted on said ski for vertically spacing said plate from anadjacent opposed surface on said ski; means for pivotally securing saidplate to one of said support means about a fixed horizontal axisrelative to said ski and in vertically spaced relation to the ski; meansfor permitting a relative longitudinal movement between said plate andthe other of said support means while maintaining the spacedrelationship of said plate from the adjacent opposed surface of saidski; and longitudinally spaced boot engaging components mounted solelyon said plate, the connection of a boot to said boot engaging componentsand said plate being solely accomplished by said boot engagingcomponents mounted on said plate, whereby said ski may flex in normaluse thereof but said plate will not flex to vary the longitudinalspacing between said components.